Stamp Services

Stamp Announcement 17-37: The Snowy Day Stamps

Stamp Announcement 17-37: The Snowy Day Stamps

On October 4, 2017, in Brooklyn, NY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue The Snowy Day stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 676100). The stamps will go on sale nationwide October 4, 2017.

With these stamps, the U.S. Postal Service showcases Ezra Jack Keats’ most beloved story, The Snowy Day. Written and illustrated by the celebrated children’s author, it was one of the first prominent 20th-century picture books featuring an African-American child. Each of the four new stamps in this 20-stamp booklet shows a different illustration of the main character, Peter, exploring and playing in his neighborhood while wearing his iconic red snowsuit. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps. The images include:

n Peter forming a snowball,

n Peter sliding down a mountain of snow,

n Peter making a snow angel, and

n Peter leaving footprints in the snow.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 676100, $9.80
The Snowy Day (Forever priced at 49 cents) Double-sided Booklet of 20 Stamps

Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov.

Special Dedication Postmarks

Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for The Snowy Day stamps. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.

Guidelines for Finalizing The Snowy Day Stamps Pictorial Postmark Art

Guidelines for Finalizing The Snowy Day Stamps Pictorial Postmark Art - Blank.

Guidelines for Finalizing The Snowy Day Stamps Pictorial Postmark Art - Filled.

To finalize The Snowy Day stamps pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state, and ZIP Code™ of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches horizontally by 2 inches vertically. Collectors prefer the dimensions 3-1/2 inches by 1.

The Postal Service™ must make all special postmarks known to collectors through advance publicity in the Postal Bulletin. Therefore, all special dedication cancellations must be reported to Stamp Services 4 weeks before the event using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

The Snowy Day Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by December 4, 2017.

How to Order First-Day Covers

The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic, online at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free issue of USA Philatelic at usps.com/philatelic, by calling 800-782-6724, or by writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
USA Philatelic Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

n 676106, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $78.40.

n 676110*, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 4), $16.95.

n 676116*, First-Day Cover (set of 4), $3.72.

n 676121*, Digital Color Postmark (set of 4), $6.56.

n 676130*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.

Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.

 

Issue:

The Snowy Day Stamps

Item Number:

676100

Denomination &

Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail® Forever

Format:

Double-sided Booklet of 20
(4 designs)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

October 4, 2017, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Art Director:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Designer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Typographer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Artist:

Ezra Jack Keats

Modeler:

Joseph Sheeran

Manufacturing Process:

Offset

Printer:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)

Printed at:

Williamsville, NY

Press Type:

Muller Martini A76

Stamps per Booklet:

20

Print Quantity:

400,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Nonphosphored Type III, Overall

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

.77 x 1.05 in/19.56 x 26.67 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

.91 x 1.19 in/23.11 x 30.23 mm

Full Booklet Size
(w x h):

5.76 x 2.38 in/146.30 x 60.45 mm

Press Sheet Size
(w x h):

23.165 x 4.76 in/588.39 x 120.90 mm

Colors:

Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow

Plate Size:

880 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“P” followed by four (4) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Header. “THE SNOWY DAY” 20 First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate numbers in peel strip area • © 2016 • USPS Logo in peel strip area • Barcode